dried up

February 24, 2019

The woman touched the garment of Jesus (Lk 8:44-8:44)

“She came up

Behind Jesus.

She touched

The fringe

Of his clothes.

Instantly,

Her bleeding stopped.”

 

προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς.

 

Luke said that this woman came up behind Jesus (ροσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν).  She touched the fringe of his cloak (ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ).  Instantly, her bleeding stopped (καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς).  This woman touching Jesus can also be found in Matthew, chapter 9:21, and Mark, chapter 5:27-29, so that Mark might be the source.  Mark said that this woman had heard about Jesus, so that she came up behind him with the crowd all around Jesus.  She wanted to touch his cloak, with no mention of the fringes or edges of Jesus’ clothes.  She was saying to herself, that if she only touched his cloak or garment, she would be healed or cured.  Immediately, her flowing blood dried up or stopped when she touched it.  She realized in her body that she was healed from her disease.  This woman was aware of what was happening to her own body as she was healed.  Matthew said that she came up behind Jesus, because she wanted to touch the fringe or the tassel edge of his cloak.  These fringes (κρασπέδου) or bottom tassels often reminded people about the 10 commandments.  She was thinking to herself, that if she only touched his cloak or garment, she would be healed or cured.  She had a plan to help herself by touching the garment of Jesus.  Have you ever tried to touch someone in a crowd?

October 22, 2018

The withered fig tree (Mk 11:20-11:20)

“In the morning,

As they passed by,

They saw

The fig tree

Withered away

To its roots.”

 

Καὶ παραπορευόμενοι πρωῒ εἶδον τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ἐκ ῥιζῶν.

 

This incident about the withered fig tree continued here, where it was a complete whole in Matthew, chapter 21:18-20.  Here in Mark, it was the next day after the curse when they were passing by it in the morning (Καὶ παραπορευόμενοι πρωῒ).  Then they saw the withered or dried up fig tree, even its roots (εἶδον τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ἐκ ῥιζῶν).  Rather than immediately the same day, as in Matthew, the result was the same.  The fig tree was dead.

September 6, 2018

The healing (Mk 5:29-5:29)

“Immediately,

Her flowing blood stopped.

She realized

In her body

That she was healed

Of her disease.”

 

καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξηράνθη ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔγνω τῷ σώματι ὅτι ἴαται ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγο

 

This healing is pretty much the same as can be found in Luke, chapter 8:44, but not in Matthew.  Mark said that immediately (καὶ εὐθὺς), her flowing blood dried up or stopped (ἐξηράνθη ἡ πηγὴ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς).  She realized in her body (καὶ ἔγνω τῷ σώματι) that she was healed from her disease (ὅτι ἴαται ἀπὸ τῆς μάστιγο).  This woman was aware of what was happening to her own body as she was healed.

June 7, 2018

Jesus curses the fig tree (Mt 21:19-21:20)

“Jesus saw a fig tree

By the side of the road.

He went to it.

He found nothing on it

But leaves only.

He said to it.

‘May no fruit

Ever come

From you again!’

The fig tree withered

At once.

When the disciples saw it,

They were amazed.

They said.

‘How did the fig tree

Wither at once?’”

 

καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν μίαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἦλθεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν, καὶ οὐδὲν εὗρεν ἐν αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ φύλλα μόνον, καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ Οὐ μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. καὶ ἐξηράνθη παραχρῆμα ἡ συκῆ.

καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐθαύμασαν λέγοντες Πῶς παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ἡ συκῆ;

 

This story about Jesus cursing the fig tree can be found in Mark, chapter 11:13-14, in a condensed form.  Luke, chapter 13:6-9, has a parable about a fig tree that would not bear fruit.  Jesus saw one fig tree by the side of the road (καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν μίαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ).  He went over to it (ἦλθεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν) but he found no fruit (καὶ οὐδὲν εὗρεν ἐν αὐτῇ), since only leaves were on it (εἰ μὴ φύλλα μόνον).  He then said to the tree (καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ) that no fruit would ever come from that tree again (Οὐ μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα).  Then the fig tree withered or dried up instantly (καὶ ἐξηράνθη παραχρῆμα ἡ συκῆ).  When his disciples saw this (καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ), they were amazed and marveled (ἐθαύμασαν).  They wondered about this and said (λέγοντες).  “How did this fig tree wither immediately (Πῶς παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ἡ συκῆ)?”  Even his disciples were amazed about this withering fig tree.

October 12, 2017

The cry to Yahweh (Joel 1:19-1:20)

“To you!

O Yahweh!

I cry!

Fire has devoured

The pastures

Of the wilderness.

Flames have burned

All the trees

Of the field.

Even the wild animals

Cry to you.

Because the water streams

Are dried up.

Fire has devoured

The pastures

Of the wilderness.”

Joel cried out to Yahweh. He called the drought of this locust plague a fire. He repeated twice that this fire had devoured the pastures in the wilderness. The dry flames had burned the trees of the fields. The wild animals were also crying out to Yahweh. The streams of water had dried up. This was a desperate situation.

October 11, 2017

The farmers should mourn (Joel 1:11-1:12)

“Be dismayed!

You farmers!

Wail!

You vinedressers!

The wheat,

The barley,

The crops

Of the field

Are ruined.

The vine withers.

The fig tree droops.

Pomegranate trees,

Palm trees,

Apple trees,

All the trees

Of the field

Are dried up.

Surely,

Joy withers away

Among the people.”

The famers and the vinedressers should wail and be upset. All the crops of the field, the wheat and the barley, are ruined. The vines wither away, while the fig trees droop. All the trees of the field, the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple trees, have dried up. There is no longer any joy among the people because of this plague of locusts.

October 11, 2017

Mourn for your lost fields (Joel 1:8-1:10)

“Lament!

Like a virgin

Dressed in sackcloth

For the husband

Of her youth!

The grain offering,

The drink offering,

Are cut off

From the house

Of Yahweh.

The priests mourn.

The ministers of Yahweh

Mourn.

The fields are devastated.

The ground mourns.

The grain is destroyed.

The wine dries up.

The oil fails.”

The people should go into mourning. They should lament like a virgin who had lost the husband of her youth, dressed in sackcloth. There was not going to be any grain or drink offerings in the house of Yahweh. The priests and the ministers should mourn because the fields were devastated. The ground itself mourned because the grain was destroyed. The wine had dried up. The oil had failed. There was good reason to go into mourning.

June 22, 2017

The dry bones were the house of Israel (Ezek 37:11-37:11)

“Then Yahweh said to me!

‘Son of man!

These bones are

The whole house

Of Israel.

They say.

‘Our bones are

Dried up.

Our hope

Is lost.

We are cut off

Completely.’”

Yahweh told Ezekiel that the dry bones were the whole house of Israel that was discouraged in their exile in Babylon. These dejected captives said that their bones were dried up. They had lost hope, since they were completely cut off from Israel.

April 26, 2017

The Lord of the trees (Ezek 17:24-17:24)

“All the trees

Of the field

Shall know

That I am Yahweh.

I bring low

The high tree.

I make high

The low tree.

I dry up

The green tree.

I make the dry tree

Flourish.

I,

Yahweh,

Have spoken.

I will accomplish it.”

This chapter ends with Yahweh clearly showing that he was in charge of trees. They should know that he made high trees low and low trees high. He dried up green trees and made dry trees flourish. He was Yahweh. He had spoken. It was going to happen.

February 21, 2017

Distressed Jerusalem (Lam 1:20-1:20)

Resh

“See!

O Yahweh!

How distressed I am!

My stomach churns!

My heart is

Wrung within me.

Because I have been

Very rebellious.

In the street,

The sword bereaves.

In the house,

It is like death.”

Once again, we are back to a personal lament from Jerusalem itself about how distressed Jerusalem is. This personified Jerusalem has a stomach that churns and a heart that has dried up. Jerusalem admitted that she had been very rebellious. However, the sword was in bereavement in the streets, because every house was like a house of death. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Resh. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.